Michael Westen

This week's Talking TV with Ryan and Ryan podcast has a different format: Ryan was out of town, so, on my own, I spoke to 'Burn Notice' creator and executive producer Matt Nix for over an hour. (Don't worry, we'll have a regular podcast, probably with a different special guest, later in the week.)

Forgive me for my enthusiasm, but I really think parts of this podcast could be of interest to wide variety of TV fans, even those who don't necessarily watch the USA Network show.

Toward the end of the podcast, at about the 55-minute mark, I asked Nix to do something writer/creator Shawn Ryan ('The Shield,' 'Terriers') has done in previous Talking TVpodcasts: I asked him to talk about his "beefs" with TV or the making of it. That got Nix started on a self-deprecating riff about those who take to the Internet to critique episodic problems that occasionally afflict his show.

A good formula can be a show's salvation. It can also start to seem, after a while, like an albatross.

The flashbacks that 'Lost' employed seemed so clever when the show began. Of course, midway through season 3, they started to grate when they were clearly being used to stall for time. 'Lost' was able to pull out of that slump, though, by changing up the game plan and finding new and different ways to remix and reconfigure its storytelling elements. As the flashes evolved, so did the show.

'Burn Notice,' which returns 10PM ET Thursday on USA, doesn't copy 'Lost's' formula, which a a dozen island experts could never codify even if they wanted to. In any case, 'Burn Notice' is comfortable telling fairly straightforward Robin Hood tales about Michael Westen and his merry little band of justice-dispensers.

Still, as was the case with 'Lost' circa early 2007, a formerly enjoyable central element of the show has begun to feel like a muddled, repetitive afterthought.

A while back, while announcing the season premieres for 'Burn Notice' and 'Royal Pains', I briefly mentioned the reason why these original USA network programs, as well as their other offerings, work so well. As I thought about it some more, I realized that it wasn't just the focus on characters and the mix of comedy and drama that made these shows click with audiences. There was more to it. In fact, three more 'its' to make a TV Squad list. How's that for ironic!

So, if you'll indulge me for a moment, here are the five things that make USA network shows resonate with viewers.

1. Actual character-driven shows -- When USA uses the tag line "Characters Welcome" they aren't kidding. Every original program since 'Monk' has been character driven. They haven't relied on special effects, or musicals, or unanswered questions that, when answered, produced more unanswered questions. It's characters that drive the shows and move them forward.

"If Michael wanted to kill you, you'd be dead." Right on, sister. If we ever land in the slammer for any reason, we want Madeline Westen as our wing man, er, mother. Because we know she'll stand by us through thick and thin, talk back to the cops, and even slap one if necessary.

Madeline may have no idea what her son is up to on 'Burn Notice' (Thu., 10PM ET on USA), but she's ready to take the fall for him. Or send the cops on a wild goose chase to the Sawgrass Mills Mall. That works, too.

(S03E16) If you wonder where the excitement is in entertainment, you're probably not watching 'Burn Notice.' However, if you're reading this review, you probably are a watcher and you have just gorged yourself on what was mostly called a season finale.

In some ways, it was a typical 'Burn Notice' finale, leaving Michael in a seemingly puzzling situation. This was ranked up there with one of the more intriguing ones. It was everything creator Matt Nix promised it would be. More on that, the client named Simon, and how to hot-wire a jet ski after the jump.

(S03E13)'Burn Notice' is generally more serious dealing with spy business than a show like 'Chuck', which is more playful. There's more blood on 'Burn Notice,' and the killing is not done to popular music. Both shows are fun, but for a tougher brand of espionage, 'Burn Notice' is the way to go.

This was one of the better 'Burn Notice' episodes because it put Michael somewhere he hasn't been in a while -- a very vulnerable position. And Larry was back. You remember Larry, played with menacing lunacy by Tim Matheson? More on Larry, the Colombian cartel, Jack Fleetwood and -- oh yeah -- Michael's brother, too, after the jump.

(S03E12) Does Michael Weston work and play well with others? Umm, not really. He prefers being at the controls and calling the shots. Have you noticed that with Fiona and Sam, Michael is usually the de facto lead? And remember how he disliked working for Carla? Hence this relationship with Gilroy is problematic to say the least. This week was an example of just how difficult it's likely to be.

(S03E11) For a nice change of pace, Burn Notice played up the local color. Lots of Little Dominica (not Little Havana) and action, including multiple explosions, a little face-forward repelling and a new somewhat mystical character for Michael to play. No Southern boy this week. No tank tops or muscle shirts. Nope. Michael was looking like Mr. Applegate, the devil in the musical Damn Yankees.

(S03E10) "People get hurt and things get complicated no matter what you do." - Fiona

Welcome back, Burn Notice. We've missed you. The story picked up a day or two after the resolution of the Strickler thing, with Fiona still on the mend and Michael more than a little miffed by the missed opportunity to get back in the spy game. And if sore feelings and healing wounds weren't painful enough, there's a new threat for Michael.

(S03E09) Wow! Talk about a powerful finale. There were a lot of plot points and emotional issues addressed, and if you had any question about Michael's true loyalty, this show answered it. Burn Notice goes on hiatus -- is that what they call it? -- till the winter, and it's going to be a long rest of the summer and fall waiting for the story to resume. There was change in the air, what with Michael inching closer to a return to the CIA -- or so it seemed. More on all that and the blistering finale after the jump.

(S03E08) In the latest Michael adventure, our hero was hell-bent on getting back into intelligence work – nothing new, really. However, that meant dancing with Strickler, a foxtrot that Fiona was reluctant to take part in ...

More on Fiona's vulnerabilities after the jump. Meanwhile, another job popped up when Barry, money launderer and occasional member of the Michael troupe of operatives, called in all his favors and became the client.

(S03E07) Burn Notice usually stays on the fun side of spying. This episode was all about getting back to doing a Robin Hood job, and since it tapped into Michael's psychology so perfectly, it added a good dollop of emotion to the fun.

And there was also that preview from last week that left fans gasping. Was one of the gang of three going down? Fortunately, in the world of spoilers and such, if that were true it would have been all over the net. Fortunately, it was all part of the con. More on that after the jump.

(S03E06) It seems like this season of Burn Notice has been all about friends and family. You know, like the cell phone deal. Michael has been relying more and more on family -- and yes, that means Fiona and Sam to me -- and picking up new friends week in and week out. As Michael has pointed out a few times, he's more valuable as a friend than an enemy. By the time we reach the end of the summer, Michael may have to throw a party to celebrate the new friendships he's made.

We also now know what can stop Michael Westen in his tracks; a Taser to the neck. Yes, for one of the few times, bad guys got the jump on Michael and he was snatched.

I think there's a rule that every TV show about a spy has an episode about how they're trapped in a jungle or island and are hunted by the bad guys. That happens on tonight's episode ("The Hunter") of Burn Notice too, but it looks like fun. This clip shows Michael meeting Beck, who turns out to be a major part of that above scenario.

It seems like everyone is out to get Burn Notice's Michael Westen in one way or another. An old buddy from the spy days will come back to see him and he'll end up being a bad guy, or he'll have other evildoers trying to kill, control and/or blackmail him. Now we have another one coming to the show for four episodes, and it's someone who was in not one but two different recent FOX shows.